Feb 20th, 2024
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Chief Development Officer & Vice President
( New York | On-site )
About the Organization
BACKGROUND: The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) is to entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. In July 1996, JALC was inducted as the first new constituent of Lincoln Center since The School of American Ballet joined in 1987, laying the groundwork for the construction of a performance facility designed specifically for sound, function, and feeling of jazz.
Over the past almost four decades, JALC has become an important and innovative advocate for jazz, culture, and art education globally. Each year, JALC reaches an audience of more than 3 million people of all ages and experiences through concerts, tours, musical instruction across its cadre of education programs, sheet music, recordings on its label Blue Engine, and live and VOD performances on its platform JAZZ LIVE.
JALC’s education department provides a broad musical foundation for students of all ages and levels of experience through classes, concerts, and presentations, and artists hone their craft at numerous and widely esteemed JALC jazz academies. An abundance of new students and jazz supporters across the U.S. and around the globe—as well as the organization’s world-wide distribution of its unique educational materials—has widely contributed to the continuing growth of JALC education. For more information about all that JALC has to offer, please visit jazz.org.
FUNDING: JALC has a current operating budget of $58.6M. Sources of revenue include earned revenue ($36.7M), and philanthropic support of approximately $22M from individuals, foundations, corporations, and special events.
Job Description
Position reports to: Executive Director
Position salary range: $325,000 - $375,000
THE OPPORTUNITY: JALC is a first-class global institution and a vitally important and visible cultural and educational resource. The Chief Development Officer (CDO) is a member of the leadership team, working closely with the Executive Director, Managing and Artistic Director, and the Board of Directors, as well as with colleagues in other disciplines. The CDO is an externally facing frontline fundraising role managing a portfolio of principal gift-level donors and prospects with the capacity to make six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts to JALC. The CDO will motivate and inspire a team of professionals to expand and diversify JALC’s donor base and help secure funding for current operations, new initiatives, and capital needs.
The CDO reports to the Executive Director, Greg Scholl, and works closely with the Managing and Artistic Director, Wynton Marsalis, and the Board of Directors. Reporting to the CDO is a team of 14.
IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS: Passion for the JALC mission. Ideally, a background or interest in music and the performing arts and a willingness to become knowledgeable about jazz; a track record of successful leadership experience in securing philanthropic support for not-for-profit institutions; able to plan and lead a comprehensive development program; major capital campaign leadership experience; successful in soliciting and closing major and principal gifts at the six-, seven-, and eight-figure level; creative, innovative, and able to devise new approaches to philanthropy; proven ability to foster, enhance, and expand relationships with existing donors and to influence and tap new, diverse audiences; demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted strategic philanthropic advisor to a CEO and Artistic Director; experience working effectively with board members; knowledgeable about the Greater New York area cultural, business, social, and philanthropic communities as well as national and global philanthropy; current with evolving trends in philanthropy; a strong communicator at all levels; able to serve as an effective and authoritative ambassador for JALC, its values, and the integrity of the work; entrepreneurial and a creative problem solver; able to work diplomatically and effectively within a large, complex, multidimensional environment; tech savvy; demonstrated commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building and leading a diverse team; willingness and ability to participate in frequent evening and weekend activities on behalf of JALC and to travel, as necessary; bachelor’s degree is required, an advanced degree is preferred.
The compensation range for this role is $325,000-$375,000 commensurate with experience and accomplishments, plus a competitive benefits package that includes medical and dental plans and generous paid time off.
Contact email for applicants kirk@howe-lewis.com